PHHP annual report 2016

Education

2,171 students164 faculty members

PHHP has grown its educational portfolio with an array of important, high quality offerings. In March 2016, the college received approval from the Florida Board of Governors to offer a bachelor’s degree in public health. The first class of students began the program last fall. The college has also added two online programs that will launch in fall 2017: a master’s degree in biostatistics and a master’s degree in One Health.

PHHP continues to lead in the use of blended learning, a combination of online/virtual content and in-person content designed to enhance student learning. The college now has more than 100 courses that incorporate some element of blended learning.

Research

$30 million in research awards12th in NIH funding among schools of public health

The college continues to climb in NIH funding among peer schools and is ranked 12th in NIH funding among the 57 accredited U.S. schools of public health, based on the most recent data available. Total grant funding increased from $26.1 million to $30 million, and awards from NIH rose from $16 million to $21 million.

PHHP faculty members are working on research projects close to home and in countries throughout the world on a diverse range of topics with real-world impact, including muscular dystrophy, dementia, concussions following sports injuries, driving safety, rehabilitation following traumatic injuries, suicidal ideation, violence and addiction, obesity, nutrition and physical activity, smoking cessation, malaria treatment and cholera prevention.

Service

5 outpatient practices53,543 patient visits

PHHP provides clinical, professional and community service at the local, national and international levels. The department of speech, language, and hearing sciences offers services at several UF Health locations. The department of clinical and health psychology provides psychological services for the entire academic health center and UF Health Physicians practices. Students in physical therapy, occupational therapy and clinical and health psychology offer pro bono services through Equal Access Clinics, providing care for local residents who are uninsured or underinsured.

New patient services include a program at the UF Health Speech & Hearing Center – Shands Hospital that offers listening and spoken language intervention to children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and their families. In addition, Glenn Smith, Ph.D., the chair of the department of clinical and health psychology, launched his Healthy Action to Benefit Independence and Thinking, a 10-day, 50-hour intensive program for people with mild cognitive impairment and their partners.